


Pollyanna

by Yotsubadancesintherain5



Category: Coco (2017)
Genre: Character Study, Gen, One Shot
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-14
Updated: 2019-01-14
Packaged: 2019-10-10 00:59:19
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 500
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17415935
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Yotsubadancesintherain5/pseuds/Yotsubadancesintherain5
Summary: It was strange enough to be in this home after all this time; stranger still to receive this many gifts.





	Pollyanna

After everything that transpired it was alien to be in this quiet home, and surrounded by gifts no less. The rest of the family had gone to bed, and before Imelda had gone to her room, she’d placed her hand on Héctor’s shoulder and said, “You may stay,” and it lingered for long enough to build hope up in his heart.

First it had been that he was lucky to still be here and now he had that. For the first time in a long time peace could settle into his bones.

He awkwardly looked at the gifts, and the unease that they brought. It was too much, in this life and the one beforehand.

It was never meant to be like this, and yet some turn of the dice had dictated that it would be this. Then there would be questions of what to do with this newfound recognition, or what he had done for the last odd decades, when he just wanted to be another face in the crowd with a family.

But there could be a good to this, too. The attention could be brought to his other family, those that were left to be forgotten, and they could be given better comfort. And he would give attention and appreciation to the gifts left for him today.  

Héctor started with the bouquet of purple hyacinths, and he thought of Imelda, making a smile grace his bony face. There was a small letter stuck in the bouquet, adorned with many signatures that said, “I’m so sorry, Héctor,” “Lo siento, por favor perdoname,” “You’re always welcomed here,” and the like.

He remembered their indirect part in getting his photo back, and thought that would make up enough for the chorizo teasing.

There was a box nearby, and Héctor opened it to discover a chocolate pound cake. The note that fell inside read, “Hello, I am Guadalupe. I always thought your attempts at crossing the marigold bridge were funny. I’m sorry for not considering the reason.”

Héctor remembered a broken rosary and nodded his silent forgiveness.

There was a polish for guitars, gifted by someone named Chavela. Héctor remembered her as the older woman that called him a handsome boy, even though he was somewhat sure that he was older than her.

Then a small bottle of cologne from someone named Ignacio, with a short note that read, “I remembered you.”

Héctor thought back to those days, when a better life for his family was settled into music. Sometimes he would spend a little too much time writing to his family, or send a little too much money that Ernesto did not approve of; then his friend would tease him about becoming a saint, and asking when the miracles would occur.

Maybe they occurred much, much later.

Héctor smiled when Miguel’s face crossed his mind. The boy had done so well with so much on his shoulders. Héctor hoped that Miguel would find happiness in his music and his family.

**Author's Note:**

> Title comes from MOTHER 1/Earthbound Beginnings' "Pollyanna" because the lyrics are hopeful and because the MOTHER/Earthbound series and Coco share the trait of having awesome music.


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